If you have sagging skin around your eyelids, you may look older than you really are. The droopiness can also give you a tired appearance that isn’t exactly flattering. Sagging eyelids can interfere with your vision, cause puffiness and wrinkles under your eyes, and generally give you a worn aspect.
What is blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure to remove fat and excess skin from around your eyes. It’s sometimes called an eye lift or eyelid surgery.
Your eyes are cushioned by a small pad of fat that is held in place by a membrane. Over time, the membrane becomes weaker and allows the pad of fat to slip forward onto your eyelids.
As the membrane weakens, your skin slowly loses elasticity and becomes thinner and weaker, as well. Gravity and less elasticity allow your eyelids to droop, so it may look like there’s a swollen area under your lower eyelid, and you may not be able to fully open your eyes.
Blepharoplasty repairs all of that. Dr. DuMornay can remove the fat and excess skin, while tightening your eyelids during the surgery.
Why have blepharoplasty?
If your eyelids interfere with your vision, blepharoplasty may help. You may also choose to have blepharoplasty for cosmetic reasons.
Drooping upper eyelids can make you look sleepy, and drooping lower eyelids can make you look older and tired.
What is the procedure like?
If you have both upper and lower lids done, the surgery usually takes about two hours. You’ll most likely be given local anesthesia and sedation rather than general anesthesia. Dr. DuMornay may recommend doing both eyes at the same time, or he may suggest two separate procedures.
Afterward, you’ll have stitches for about a week. You’ll need several days for recovery. You may experience some swelling and possibly bruising. However, your eyelids should be healed within a week or two.
Are maintenance procedures necessary?
Most of the time blepharoplasty on the upper eyelids lasts from five to seven years. Your skin continues to age, and gravity continues to exert pressure, after all. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty doesn’t usually need to be redone.
If your eyelids begin to droop again, you may need a forehead lift, which is a different procedure, rather than another eye lift.
Am I a good candidate for blepharoplasty?
If you’re healthy overall, don’t have any serious eye conditions, and you’re a nonsmoker, you may be a candidate for blepharoplasty. However, every person is unique, so you’ll need to consult with Dr. DuMornay about your medical history, as well as about your personal goals.
What you expect to gain from the procedure is an important consideration. You may learn that a different procedure or treatment will meet your goals better or that blepharoplasty is a good approach to accomplish what you want.
If you’d like to learn more about blepharoplasty, schedule a consultation by phone or online with Dr. DuMornay. He’s happy to answer your questions, as well as provide an evaluation of your situation. The treatment strategy he suggests is tailored specifically for your individual circumstances.
